Anytime one fighter cites a previous sparring session they had with their next opponent, as to why they’re going to win, things tend to kick-off in a hurry. Well, Johny Hendricks recently reported that he bested Kelvin Gastelum when they sparred a couple of years back, and well, the latter isn’t happy about it.

The welterweight contenders are scheduled to fight at UFC 200 on Saturday. Recently Hendricks appeared on “Submission Radio“, and while doing so, he claimed (quote via MMA Mania.com):

“He likes to move forward. That’s something that I can definitely use against him. And the way that he throws punches – I’m not gonna get into too much of the details because some of it is my gameplan – but the way that he does certain things, I have figured out, I’ve watched the footage and I think I’ve figured out how to use that against him. And I really, really hope that he is gonna fight that way, but I’ve also prepared for a guy who knows that I can hit hard, that knows that he’s sparred me before and it didn’t go well..”

Of course, Hendricks’ comments got back to Gastelum, who while talking to MMA Junkie Radio, had this to say in response:

“It’s like, c’mon man,” Gastelum said. “You beat me up when I was one fight removed from ‘TUF,’ and you were training to be a world champion.”

“He’s saying I come forward all the time, and it’s like, duh, that’s what a fight is,” Gastelum added.

There’s no question that Gastelum’s striking has improved considerably, since he won TUF back in 2013. So, it’s going to be interesting to see how this fight plays out. Hendricks is also a very accomplished wrestler, but Gastelum is no slouch in that department either.

It’s a huge fight for both men, as Hendricks is coming off a stoppage loss to Stephen Thompson, and Gastelum was decisioned by Neil Magny in his last outing.